A strong 2025 season propelled Penn State guard Vega Ioane up draft boards.
The redshirt junior allowed no sacks and just four quarterback hurries on 298 reps last fall, earning first-team All-Big Ten accolades and positioning himself as the consensus top guard in the class and one of the top overall prospects.
Ioane is considered a first-round lock and will likely be the first Penn State player to hear his name called, making him the first Nittany Lion guard drafted since Connor McGovern in 2019. It would also mark the sixth straight year Penn State has had a top-32 selection.
He drew praise for his character this season for helping a team manager push an equipment cart up the tunnel after a particularly disheartening loss at Ohio State.
Ioane also had a strong 2024 season, allowing no sacks and 17 pressures on 478 pass protection snaps en route to second-team All-Big Ten honors. He also went viral for lining up in the slot before motioning across the field and pancaking a UCLA defender.
After four seasons in Happy Valley, including 2.5 as a starter, the former four-star recruit from Graham, Washington, has seen it all, including a trip to the College Football Playoff semifinals and a 6-6 campaign. He’s leaving as one of the most polished players in the draft and likely won’t have to wait long to hear his name called.
“I was 2,000 miles away from home, took a chance on being here growing up as a man,” Ioane said. “It’s exactly what Penn State did for me. Came to campus as a kid, left as a man. For sure.”
Pro Day results
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 326 pounds
Vertical jump: 31.5 inches
Broad jump: 8-foot-8
Projection: Round 1
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